Freestone pitter



May 1956 J. PERRELLI ET AL FREESTONE PITTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1952 INVENTOR: .7055 PH P2 RKELL/ jar/N PERRE LL/ m 2 W A TTOR/VEKS May 15, 1956 J. PERRELLl ET AL FREESTONE PITTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1952 INVENTORS fast/ A AE/PRELL/ y Jahw 05,095,441 6 l United States PatentT) l z,-74s,4ss

"FREESTONE PITTER,

i-iJosepEPeri-elli and John Perrelli, Richmond, Caiif.

' Application March a, 19szg'seriai No. 275,586

'rcraims. F-(CL 146 28) .Thisinventionrelates to. atpittenfordrupes and is of '..the same...gener'al typeasthe pitter disclosed in United (States Letters. Patent No. 2,474,492.0fdoseph and John Perrelli, andv copending application: for- United States Letters Patent se rial Nor167,848 filed June 13, 1950, now I Patent No, 2,701,594, bylohn Perrelli.

One of the objects of the present invention is the pros/ision. of .an improved .structure. for. accomplishing the .bisecting and pitting of freestone drupes, suchas apricots, whereby a better pitting operation is made possible under wider variationsof the fruit and pits as to size.

. Another object. of the-invention isthe provision of an .upward feed device in combination with the pitting mech- 1 anism-wherebythefi'uit may-be fed more rapidly to said mechanism-with lessattention from .the operator, and will 'be correctly positioned for pitting.

A still further object of the-invention'is the provision of a yieldablerand:moistureproof support for the flesh of atheI-fruit thatis being-pitted: during the bisectingof the flesh and during the pitting operation.

An additional object is-the provision of means associated withsthe." bisecting cutting-blade for engaging the pit, whether split or-solid',-.-after.-the.-flesh.of the drupe has been bisected forrinsuring a separation ofthe pit from the halves and a still further object of the invention-is the provision 10i means associated-with the flesh bisecting blade for holdxi-ingthe drape in tpr oper position .during-the'bisecting step ...-.-or cut;ting the-flesh tothe-pitwhether or not the-pit itself ,eengages'the cutting edge of the :bisecting blade.

In pitters,of-the type-herein described and as described "Jain/said patent andtimsaidtapplication,the drupe, suchas fianiaprieoadsrolled along aipath oftravel andrat the same time it is carvedalong a;.cutting blade theedge of which engages-the pit soras toibisect the flesh of the apricot about 7.the;.1pit; thereby rfreeing therlatter forrremoval' from the aflesh and alsowat tthetsametimethe-cuttingedge of the :rbladerand theisupportlfor the: apricot or other freestone s-dr'upe,zare sorzarrangedihat.thetblade' forces the pit out of the bisectedtfleshfsotliatithe pit'will notstickrto either half -.--.after. thekdrupe'is bisected. zHowever, due to certain ir- .1 regularities in-ithe contours of the pits: and'stheirsizes ithas been foundrthat' attimes argreaterresistance than is desired maybecreated-.betweenthe:pitand the edge of the -"bf thefieslr bisecting bladefor the "pit may be split or cracked;withtheresult'that the pit is not properly removed from the fruit.

'With' the present=invei1tion ;-in the event the edge of the pit should not be exactly in the proper position below-the wobladacthe fruit will be bisected properly and atthe end iCC of the blade, where the pit must be engagedby theblade I to force it out of the fruit, the edge of the-bladeis-directed .so as to insure engagement with the pit,--whet.her-;i'eis split cracked or is offset slightly to one sidetofrthez-blade,

- and the pit will be properlyforced outtof. the drupe.

Other objects and advantages will appeaninetherdescription and in the drawings.

In the drawings Fig. l is vertical sectional i/iew;ofi-5'the ..main portion of the invention showing theseveral-rparts of the present invention most clearly;

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view-taken;

along line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view. of a pprtion of the invention in slightly modified form.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the part showniin Fig- 4. i

Fig. 6. is a part sectional and part plan view-bftzthe feed device, the pitter blade and its support being omitted.

Fig. 7 is anelevational view taken along line 7-v-7= of Fig. 6. v 1

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged sectional-views Ealonghthe feed device schematically illustrating the-positioning action of said feed device in positioning-the drupes With'i'thfiil' minor axes horizontal and so that the-suturevofnsaid drupes will be in the same plane as that-of'the. cutting blade.

In detail, the frame of the pitting machine, :designated 1 (Fig. 1) may be the same as-the frame'sho'wnnin'said? v copending application, and wherever thenumeralQL-iappears in the drawings it designates a stationary'part of drupes as it is being pitted. It is immaterial: whethera'the hub portions of the Wheels are integral ior separate :from

each other; The main requirement is' that their rirnsflbe of the same diameter and spaced apart soithat azpitican I pass between said rims radially thereof for discharge-from between the wheels in any suitable manner.

-As seen in Figs. 2, 3, the rims .4, ieachisiofirubber that is preferably solid andnon-rnoisture absorbentg but -flexible and resilient and thexperipheral outer walls 6 pof said rims extend divergently outwardly in direc tion --away from the aris of thewheels.

walls are flexibly supported in spaced relation toltheinner -walls' 7, which latter walls have the same in'clination as walls 6. Parallel opposed 'walls'8 are :integral walls 7 and are secured to the wheels. Y

, The walls 6 virtually form a V-shapedzsnpport; except that'the apex is cutaway to leave a space betweenasaid walls, and said Walls havefribs 9cm their outer sides that extend transversely thereacross at the same incline-as said walls 6. Said Walls 6 areconnected with theinner walls 7 'alongtheir peripheral outer edges by being integral'with said inner walls along said outer edges. ="lnasmuchhas :the walls 6, 7 are of resilient rubber or plastic: material and are spaced apart except where they aretconnected,

itwill be seen that the outer Walls 6 are yieldabletagainst radially inwardly directed pressure. Hence a drupe lo supported on the walls 6 and automaticallyjcenter ed thereon at the upper sides of. the rim, as seen in Rig. 2

will be yieldably supported by said walls Th'fact that the ims 5, 6 including walls- 6, 7, Slam-Jot solid "rubber is quite importantfor the reason thatf'there' is considerable moisture present in arpitting operation and the pitting machines may be frequently washed'withwater to keep them clean. It sponge -or foam 'rubb'le'r'were employed, it would quickly become waterlogged, and would} swell :anddisintegrateunder use. '='-If' springs were iised 2,745,453 Patented .115, 1956 These peripheral 5 they would corrode and be 3 difficult to clean, andthe expense of making spring supported supports together with "the cost of upkeep would be prohibitive. I I

q H Above the wheels3 and centered over the space 11 between theadjacent lower edges of the walls 6 (which pref- I 'erably project a distance laterally and toward each otherfarther than the walls 8) is the cutting blade 12. This blade 12 is disposed in a vertical plane that bisects the.

space 11 between said wheels 3 in a direction longitudinally of rims 4, 5.

As best seen in Fig. l the drupes llii are delivered onto Where freestone peaches and apricots are being pitted J each pit has its suture or greatest diameter in the plane of the suture of the body of the drupe. In the patent and application mentioned earlier in this specification, the drupes are positioned by hand for being impaled by the 7 cutting edge of a blade that is somewhat similar to the -:blade 2 in' the plane of the suture of each drupe when the drupe is' fed'onto the wheel rims. The same posi- .tioning of the drupes occurs in the present instance,

except that the feeding onto the wheel rims may. be performed automatically by a feeding mechanism.

Upon each drupe being fed onto the rims of wheels I i 4,. the edges 16, 13 of blade12 will cut each drupe substantiallyrto the upper edge of the pit. As the wheels 4,5 are rotated counterclockwise; the drupes thereon 'will be rotated clockwise due to the resistance produced p by the impalement of the drupes by the blade 12 and the engagement'between' the-edge 13 and the pit. Thus .the body of each drupe is quickly and efficiently bisected to the pit by the blade 12. s As the cutting edge 13 extends" away from the end that meets the oncoming drupes, it progressively curves toward the spacell until the edge is so'close that the pit in each drupe will be forced by said edge through space 11 and out of the halves of the drupes.

. It is pertinent to note that the edge of blade 12 at the point where it is nearest-to spacel'l is divided to form a .generally inverted V, the said division being gradual and commencing at the end 17 of the dotted line in Fig. 1,

V which line represents the base or apex of the inverted V.

These two edges 18 (Fig. 3) are provided insteadof one.

This division insures the proper discharge of the pits between the rims 4, 5. The pits, whether split or cracked r or oflset to one side or the other relative to blade 2 will be held between edges 18 at their final point of movement between said rims;

It is also important'to note that a pair of oppositely 7 downwardly extending strips .29 are at opposite sides of the blade 12. In Figs. 1,2 these strips'are secured to the ;b1ade.-, In Figs. 4, 5, they are carried on frame 1, and in the latter instance they are designated 21'. v

' These strips 20, 21 areat a level above the rims 4, 5 that is about equal to the .upper sides of the drupes -when the latter are being bisected and pitted. As the StI'iPSQXtCDd longitudinally of the direction of travel of i the'drupes the upper sides of said drupes will be held against the sides of the blade 12 duringthe bisecting 1 operation and even if the pit were to be located to one side or the other of blade 1.

The blade 12 in the present instance is generally float- V wardly slanting sides 45 of a feed hopper.

the blade.

nearest space -11, the pins26, ZS-engage the upper closed ends of said slots, said slots extending parallel and slantingly downwardly from said pins in a direction generally toward a drupe that is supported on the rims 4, 5.

A leaf spring 29 engages the upper edge of blade 2 at a point about midway between slots 25, 27 for yieldably urging the blade to a position so the pins 26, 28 are at the upper closed ends of said slots, and over the lower pin 28 a spring 30 engages the upper edge of said blade for yieldably urging the lower end of the. blade toward space 11 with greater force than the upper end of By this arrangement, a pit entering the space between the edge 13 and the rims 4, 5 may cause the blade; to move away from thespace 11 at the forward end of said edge13 if the pit is too large to freely pass between the edge 13 and the rims. In this instance the blade will pivot or rock about pin 28. If the resistance between the pit rock about pin 26 or it maybe moved bodily away from the space 11, .butin any event the pitwill be moved between therims and separated from the halves of the drupe. v i

A screw 31 is provided for adjusting the tension of sprin 30 against the blade 12 at the lower end of the latter.

Many drupes have a larger diameter in the plane of the suture of each drupe. This is particularly true of some varieties of apricots, so that the drupes appear to be flattened slightly. The feed device in the present instance is adapted to automatically feed such drupes to the pitting machine so that they are-positioned with their sutures in the plane of'the blade12. p

The feed device best shown in Figs. 6 to 9 comprises 'a relatively narrow, horizontally extending belt 40 that extends at one end over a pulley 41 that is disposed between wheels 4, 5 so that the upper reach of said belt is adapted to support a drupe'101 thereon for delivery to so support said pulley.

Belt 40 extends atits other end over-a pulley 43 that is spaced from the pitting machine. The pulley 43 is on a shaft 44 and adjacent to saidpulley are the up- These sides extend divergently upwardly from opposite sides 'of the upperreach of belt 40so' that apricots placed'between said sides will-be depositedonthe upper reach of'helt V 40 for being carried to the pitting machine.

Extending upwardly at opposite sides of belt 40 are a pair of horizontally elongated belts 46, which belts with belt 40 form a moving, upwardly opening channel for I carrying the drupes to the pitting machine.-- Said belts 46 extend pastopposite sides of the wheels 3 at their ends that are'remote from the feed hopper 45.

The adjacent reaches of belts 46 are yieldably urged toward each other by leaf springs 47 that yieldably engage the oppositely outwardly surface of said reaches so as to insure engagement between the belts 46 andthe 1 drupes.

The belts 46 "ex-tend around pulleys 48 at one of their 49 they diverge slightly from each other so that drupes may freely enter the space between said reaches.

Pulleys '49 are secured on the uPPer ends of vertical shafts 50, and their lower ends each have a bevel gear 51 secured thereto. -A horizontal shaft.52extends below the gears 51 and has bevel gears 53 secured thereto,'

which gears 5 3 have their teeth in mesh with those of the gears 51.

Shafts 44, 52 are'parallelfand .alsprocke't Wheel 5401:

belts' 46. "The result of this is that the drupes on belt-40 'uiill automatically?arrange".themselves from a position secniiri Figs 8 to the position seen in Fig; 9' and will be deliver-ed onto the rims 4, 5 in the latter position with th'eiisutures in the plane of blade 12. In most freestone -Zdrupes' the major diameter is'in the plane of the suture o' the'feed d'eviceds effective even-where the drupes are*not greatly fiattened; although it is obvious that the dr'upes -will position' themselves. with their-minor axes horizontal more rapidly when their flattened shapes are z relati'v'elyi pronounced.

eth'ected irf the delivery"or feedingmechanism. For ex-' airiPleJT-the belts -'46=may-=be driven faster'than belt40, or

--'-;-ee1e4e may-bestationary-andthe apricots or fruit will assume positions"with their sutures in vertical planes thaf are-" parallel with the directiou of travel, but the arrangement shown is preferable.

We claim: 1. In a p'itti'ng 'm'achine for freestone drupes such as aapricots and the like; a pair of elongated, parallel supj portsis'upport'edtor movement longitudinally thereof in one f direction 'ands aced apart for supporting a drupe 1 ing said" supports "for carrying 'said" drupe therewith, a

'-"vertical=blade"supported in a position above and over -"s'did space and in-a plane bisecting said space longitudinally of said supports and having a cutting edge directed toward said space, said edge being spaced at one of its ends above said space a distance less than the diameter of said drupe and a distance sufiicient'for the pit of such drupe on said supports to pass between said edge and said space and said edge extending in said plane in said direction of movement of said supports away from said one end and progressively nearer to said space until said edge is suificiently close to said space to move the pit in said drupe out of the latter and through said space as said drupe is carried on said supports in said one direction, and a pair of parallel, elongated, holddown strips supported at opposite sides of said blade and extending generally in the direction of movement of said drupe, said strips extending divergently downwardly away from opposite sides transversely thereof and means for holding said strips in positions for extending over and substantially in engagement with the upper sides of the halves of said drupe at opposite ends of said blade as said drupe is carried on said supports in said one direction.

2. In a pitting machine for freestone drupes such as apricots and the like; a pair of elongated, parallel supports supported for movement longitudinally thereof in one direction and spaced apart for supporting a drupe thereon with its pit over said space, means for so moving said supports for carrying said drupe therewith, a vertical blade supported in a position above and over said space and in a plane bisecting said space longitudinally of said supports and having a cutting edge directed toward said space, said edge being spaced at one of its ends above said space a distance less than the diameter of said drupe and a distance suflicient for the pit of such drupe on said supports to pass between said edge and said space and said edge extending in said plane in said direction of movement of said supports away from said one end' and progressively nearerto'isaid space until said edge is sufiiciently close to said space to move the pitin said -drupeout-of the-latter--and through saidspace as said drupe is-- carried on said supports in said one direction,

' and an-elongated feed conveyor extending from" a' point spaced outwardly of -sa'id --supports to alongside 'opposite outer sides of said pair of supports and-into-said' space for conveying. drupes-onto saidsu'pports'at a point-below said one end of said cutting edge 'ofgsaid" blade'f -means supporting said conveyor for movement longitudinally thereofinto sa'id'..'space, -and meansconnected with said *conveyor for: so moving it, 'whereby a drupe'plac'ed' on 7 :said conveyor at said point outwardly of said supports will be automatically fed onto said supports.

3. In" a pitting'machine for freestonedrupessuch as apricots and the like; a pair of elongated, parallel-supports supported'for movement longitudinally there'ofi in one direction and spaced apart=forsupporting a drupe thereon with its pit oversaid space, 'means"for so moving said supports for carrying 'said drupe therewith, a vertical blade supported in a position above-and over said space and in aplane bisecting said space longitudinally of said supportsand having a cuttingedge-directed toward-saidspacegsaid edge being spaced atone of its'ends above said'space adistance'less than'thedi- 'arneter of said drupe and a distance suificient forthe'pit -of' such drupe-on said supports to pass betweensa'idedge and said space and said edge extending in said plane in said direction of movement of'said supports away from said one endand progressively nearer tosaid-"space until said "edge is suflicie'ntly close to -said space to-move'the pit in said drupeout ofthe latter-and through said space as said drupe is carried onsaid supports in said one direction, and a feed conveyor extendingalongside oppolsite outer sides of said pair of supports and*int0'-'said space for conveying-drupes ontosaid'supports at apoint 'below -said one end of' 'said cutting edge of said blade,

" means forrnoving saidconveyor-tdward said point'below *said' onelend; :the =p'ortions'='ofsaid conveyor extending between said supports being adapted to support said drupes thereon and the portions extending alongside opposite sides of said supports being at a level above said first mentioned portion and spaced apart a distance for engaging opposite lateral sides of said drupes, and said first mentioned portion being movable at a higher rate of speed than said portions that extend to opposite sides of said supports whereby said drupes will adjust themselves with their minor axes horizontal during their movement to said supports so that said drupes will be impaled by said blade in a plane perpendicular to said minor axis.

4. in a pitting machine for freestone drupes such as apricots and the like; a pair of elongated, parallel supports supported for movement longitudinally thereof in one direction and spaced apart for supporting a drupe thereon with its pit over said space, means for so moving said supports for carrying said drupe therewith, a vertical blade supported in a position above and over said space and in a plane bisecting said space longitudinally of said supports and having a cutting edge directed toward said space, said edge being spaced at one end there of above said space a distance less than the diameter of said drupe and a distance sufficient for the pit of such drupe on said supports to pass between said edge and said space and said edge extending in said plane in said direction of movement of said supports away from said one end and progressively nearer to said space until said edge is at a point sufficiently close to said space to engage said pit and to commence moving the pit in said drupe toward said space as said drupe is carried on said supports in said one direction, the edge of said blade from said one end substantially to saidpoint being single and the remainder being divided from said point onward I gressively moved away from said pit as said drupe is moved along said pair of edges. 7

5., In a pitting machine for pitting freestone drupes a generally V-shaped support open at the apex for supporting a drupe thereon at points at opposite sides of a vertical plane bisecting the space between said rims with the pit of such drupe over said space, a cutting blade in said plane above said rims having a cutting edge directed toward said space and spaced at one end thereof above said rims a distance less than the diameter of said drupe andsulficient for said drupe to pass below said edge when the latter is supported on the rim at said point, means for rotating said rims for carrying a drupe thereon toward said blade and to and below said edge, said edge extending from said one end .in said direction progressively closer to said space to a point suificiently near to said space to move said pit through the latter and out of the flesh of said drupe upon said drupe being carried by said rims in said direction, said rims being of resilient, moisture resistant and non-moisture absorbent for resiliently supporting said rims along their divergent outer edges for movement of their inner adjacent edges generally radially under a predetermined pressure of drupes supported on said rims, said rims being spaced apart atsuflicientdistance so that said points of engagement between said rims and said drupes will be between said means that resiliently supports said rims.

6. In a pitting machine for drapes and the like having a cutting blade formed along one edge with a cutting edge, a carrier for drupes extending past said edge for supporting drupes thereon for movement past said blade in bisecting relation to said blade, said carrier comprising a pair of parallel, elongated, hollow waterproof supports of resilient rubber-like material positioned along opposite sides of the plane of said blade and extending past the latter adjacent the edge of saidblade, said supports having divergently upwardly extendingdrupe'supporting surfaces, facing generally toward said blade for centering a drupe thereon relative to said plane, means supporting said supports for movement in one direction past said blade, and means for so moving said supports, the adjacent'lower portions of said supports being open and the means supporting said supports for movement being a wheel with said supports-carried on the outer periphery I thereof.

7. In a pitting machinefor-drupesiand the like having a cutting blade disposed in a vertical plane with an elonan edge thereof, a carrier for carrying whole drupes-past said blade for bisection thereof by the latter comprising a pair of parallel, elongated, solid, resilient strips of waterproof rubber-like material extending" generally longitudinally of said cutting edge along oppositesides of the vertical plane of said blades and having uppersides extending divergently upwardly transversely of the lengths ofv said strips for supporting such drupes thereon centered relative to said plane, means supporting said strips along their upper longitudinally extending edges only for movement of saidstrips longitudinally thereof in one direction past said blade, the portions of said strips extending convergently downwardly from said means being sup: ported in air from said means for free flexing under downa ward pressure against a drupe supported on said portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Furtado' June 12, 1951 

